Thomas i



April 19 1927, 1,625,153

T. vl. POTTER Patente-d Apr. 19, 1927.

vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS I. POTTER, OE EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE .AS-

SIGNMENTS, TO HYDRO REFRIGERATOR COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A i

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PUMP.

Application led September 12., 1922. Serial No. 587,698.

This invention relates to improvements in pumps, particularly to a pump which is especially adapted for use as a compressor with refrigerating apparatus of the general character disclosed in co-pending application, Serial No. 500,7 56, filed on the fifteenth day of September, 1921.

It is a specific object of the present inven tion to provide a pump peculiarly adapted for automatic regulation by the braking action of the working fluid within a refrigerating apparatus, and I have shown and described a refrigerating apparatus in order thatthe utility of the pump for this purpose may clearly appear. rIt is a further object of the invention to provide a pump which is extremely unlikely to become out of order, which is hydraulically operated, and controlled by a novel type of valve mechanism.

Utilization of atmospheric pressure on the pump actuating liquid to assist in automatically stopping the pump forms a further object of the invention.

With these and other objectsin view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangement of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view principally in section through a refrigerating apparatus including my improved pump.

Figure is an enlarged fragmental detail view showing the operating mechanism for the piston valve; parts being broken away and in section for clearness.

Figure 3 is another detail view taken. on the line of Figure 2. c

Figure 4 ,is an elevational view of the operating mechanism for valve 21, and

Figure 5 is an edge view of Figure 4.`

Referring in detail to the drawings, I have used the reference numeral 1 to desig nate a tank equipped with a rather heavy cover plate 2 which is preferably bolted as indicated at 3 to an annular external flange v4 around the upper end ofthe tank. An integral boss 5 surrounding an opening 6 in the cover plate provides a. iirm meunting for the lower end of pump cylinder 7, wherein a weighted pump piston 8 is slidable. The piston is weighted by a relatively long depending extension 9.

A cylinder head 10 for the cylinder 7 is tapped by a pair of pipes 11 and 12 leading `respectively to a condenser coil 13 in the tank 1 and to a refrigerating or eXpansion chamber 14. A check valve 15 prevents a flow of vaporizedrefrigerant from the cyl mder into the pipe 12 and a similar one-way valve 16 permits one-way flow from the cylinder into pipe 11. i

The condenser coil 13 empties at its lower end into a reservoir 17 and an outlet pipe 18 delivers refrigerant from the reservoir to the chamber 14. The pipe 18 connects with a depending spout 19 carried by a hand-hole cover 2O forming part of the cover of the chamber 14. A float controlled valve 21 is adapted to prevent flow through the spout 19 when the level of the liquid refrigerant (preferably ethyl chloride) is above a pre-determined point. The novel type ofvalve actuating mechanism for valve 21 will be more fully hereinafter described.

The water supply and discharge pipes `ing fluid entering through pipe 22, said valve being preferably equipped with a dial such as 25 to indicate the pressure under which the pump is operated. A piston valve 26 mounted in the portion 24 of the cover plate is adapted to control the vflow of liquid into and from the tank. lVhen the piston valve is in its uppermost position indicated in Figure 1, the water outlet is closed and the inlet for water under pressure is opened, whereby suflicient pressure is created in the tank 1 to raise the weighted pump piston 8. As the piston valve 26 descends, it shuts off the water supply and provides communication between the tank 1 lower end ol the piston weight 9 rides on a vertical guide rod 2S in the tank l. and at its other side the weight t) carries a rack bar 29. Hangers 50 depending from cover plate 2 provide mounting Ytor a horizontal sha'lit 3l whereon a gear wheel 32 in mesh with. the rack bar 29 is idly mounted. Sleeves-33 and34 are tixedon opposite ends ot the shaft 3l and a sleeve. 35 turns treely on the shaft between the gear wheel 32 and the sleeve 34.

An arm 3G on the sleeve E58 is pivotally attached to the lower end ot a connecting rod Slifer reciprocating the piston valve 26. A pini-58 projecting` laterally from the rear 32 is vadapted to engage a linger 30 on the sleeve to turn said sleeve and throw a weighted arm 44 which is lifted thereto past its dead center. 'lhe sleeve 34 carries a counter-balancing weighted arm 45. The arnl 44 is movable between :i pair ot spaced laterally entendiilg arms ttl carried by the sleeve 34; and stop lues 4T projecting it'rom the adjacent hanger 3%() inte the path of the arms 4G serve, to limitthe rotation ot sleeve 3 4 and efiuisequently the shalt lvl to which it is tired; The way in which this mechanism operates to control the piston valve will be more fully hereinafter described.

It is ofcourse necessary to provide a valve operating mechanism ttor the valve 2l which will effectively prevent a ditlerence in pressure between the chamber 14 and the reservoir 1:7 from opening the valve betere the level `of the liquid in the chamber falls toa pre-determined point.

This result is accomplished in the following manner. A stem 48 of the valve 2l is mounted tor slide vertically in the apertured endof an arm 49 projecting laterally from a hanger 50- carried by the hand-hole cover 20. A. link 5l pivoted on the side ot the hanger is pivotally attached to the lower end ot the valve stem 48. The hanger 50 at its lower en'd provides a .mountingv for the pivot bolt 52v whereon a :float carrying` arm 53 and a weight carrying arm 54 are mount-ed to swing. A plate 55 swiveled on the pivot bolt is formed adjacent one edge with a cam slot 56 accommodating a pin 57 lined to the lower end of the stem 48. It will then be evident that pivotal movement ot the plate roperates to raise and lower the valve stem and close and open the valve. Spaced lugs 58 on lthe plate 55 engage the weighted arm 54 to swing' it in either direction past its dead centerposition. The weighted arinin swing'- ing engages either one of a pair o-l lugs 5S) on the plate V55 which straddle arm 54. These las-t mentioned lugs are ont of the path ot the lugs 58. In other words, the float arm moves `the weight arm, which in turn operates the cam to quickly open or close the valve.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The chamber 14 is almost completely lilled with a, suitable re'l'rigeratingliquid. such as ethyl chloride. lnasmuch as the entire relrigcrating operation is carried en within a closed cycle, it is preferable to exhaust the air trom the chamber 14, condenser l3,.pump cylinder and connectingvpipes betore starting;r operation. Assuming; the pump piston to be in its lowermost position with the inlet pipe 22 in communication with the tank, the valve 25 is set Ytor the desired pressure andthe tank flooded. The pressure in the tank will litt the pump pistonand as the weight Q'ascends the rack 2S) will. turn the gear 32 operatingl through the medium oll a pin 38, arm 39, sleeves S5 and 34, shatt 3l and sleeve 33 to pull the connecting:` rod 3T. As the connecting' rod moves it pulls the piston valve downwardly sluittinl otl the inlet pipe and opening; the outlet pipe just as' the pump piston reaches its highest position. lt will bevevident that the weighted arm 44 will serve when en either side of its dead center to securely hold the piston valve in either extreme position until the arm is .again swung by the mechanism hereinbetore described.

As soon as the outlet pipe is opened and the intake `shut olf to relieve pressure in the tank the weighted. pump piston will `gravitationally descend reversing the operation ott the gear 32 and its associated parts to litt the rusten valve 26 at the proper time as will be readily understood.

The pump piston` on its down stroke ei:- hausts vapor-ized refrigerant trom the chainber 14 and on its up stroke con'rpresses the vapor and 'forces it into ,the pipe ll and condenser coil where the .same will, be condensed and delivered into the reservoir 1177. 'ihe volume ot vapor drawn Ytrom the clnunber t4 into the pump will. oit course always equal the volume ol" water displaced by the descending piston. As the temperature in the chamber 14 is le'rzulually lowered, vaporization becomes slower and pressi'lre in the chamber is gradually reduced. 'lhe ratnziospheric pressure on the water in` tank l whenever the valve 2G is in position to open the waste pipe is ot course a constant factor, as is the head ot water lo be overcome by the descending pump piston. l-Vhen the c itterence in pressure between the chamber i4 and the water becon'ies sutliciently great to coinzlterbalance the weight oit the descending pump piston, the 'pistoni will be autoruzu ically stopped. This difference in pressure only occurs when the rate ot vaporization in 'the chamber 14 is very low and' the desired teink peratnre has been reached therein. As soon as the temperature in the chamber rises the rate ot vaporizationwill increase, the ditterence in pressure between the chamber and tank will be lessened, the load on the pump piston relieved and the pump will. again start to operate. The head of water to be displaced by the piston in its descent also acts to supplement the load on the piston as will be readily understood.

Operation of the valve 2G is quite indepen-` dent of pressure in the chamber 14. The valve is strictly Heat-controlled and will be positively opened by the weighted arm 54: falling toward the lioat and moving the slotted plate 55 whenever the level of liquid in the tank is lowered to a predetermined point. The difference in pressure between the chamber and the reservoir 17 is sufficient to cause a replenishing flow of liquid refrigerant into the chamber whenever opening of the valve 2l takes place. As the level of the refrigerant in the chamber rises, operation of the valve mechanism is reversed and the valve closed. Weight arm 54 and float arm 53 both co-operate to prevent the difference of pressure acting on the valve from aifecting its operation.

Since it will be obvious that the temperature necessary in the expansion chamber to stop the pump is directly dependent upon the weight of the pump piston, means is provided in the form of attachable weights 9 for varying the weight of this piston. Cessation of operation when the temperatureof the material to be cooled has reached any predetermined point is thus made possible.

I have illustrated one of the preferred embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that various slight changes and alterations might be made in the general form of the parts described without departing from the invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A pump including a cylinder communicating at its lower end with a pressure chamber, a piston in the cylinder, and including an extension operable in the pressure chamber, inlet and outlet valves in the head of the piston, means for alternately in troducing and relieving pressure in the'pre sure chamber.v1 whereby the pump piston ali ternately moves upwardly in the cylinder under pressure, and down wardly in the cylinder gravitationally, and means for mechanically loading the pump piston to reg-` ulate the speed of operation of the pump.

A pump including a cylinder open at its lower end and having inlet and outlet ports in its upper end, a pressure chamber communicating with the lower end of the cylinder, a pump piston located partly in'V the cylinder and partly in the chamber, means for alternately introducing and relieving pressure in the chamber, whereby the piston operates under pressure on its delivery stroke and gravitationally on its in take stroke, and means for mechanically loading the piston. to regulate the speed thereof at any predetermined pressure of actuating fluid.

3. A pump including a cylinder open at its `lower end and having inlet and outlet ports in its upper end, a pressure chamber connnunicating with the lower end of the cylinder, a pump piston located partly in the cylinder and partly in the chamber, means for alternately introducing and relieving pressure in the chamber, whereby the piston operates upon pressure on its delivery stroke and gravitationally on its intake stroke, and means for mechanically loading the piston to regulate the speed thereof at any predetermined pressure of actuating fluid, said means comprising a series of weights attachable to the piston.

Ll. A pump including a cylinderv open at its lower end and having inlet and outlet ports in its upper end, a pressure chamber communicating with the lower end of the cylinder, a pump piston located partly in the cylinder and partly in the chamber, means for alternately introducing and relieving` pressure in the chamber, whereby the piston operates yunder pressure on its delivery stroke ancL gravitationally on its intake stroke, and means for mechanically loading the piston to regulate the speed thereof at any predetermined pressure of actuating fluid, said means comprising a series of weights of di'erent sizes attachable to the piston.

5. Pumping mechanism comprising a tank adapted to be filled with fluid, a cylinder opening at one end into the tank and having intake and delivery ports in its upper end, an elongated piston workino' in the cylinder and extending into the tank, means for alternately introducing and relieving pressure on the fluid in the tank, whereby the piston is pressure operated on its delivery stroke and gravitationally operated on its intake stroke, and a series of weight selectively attachableto the lower end of the piston for mechanically loading the saine.

(i. .l-innping mechanism comprising a tank adapted to be filled with fluid, a cylinder opening at one end intdthe tank and having intake and delivery ports in its upper end, an elongated piston working in the cylinder and extending .into the tank, means for alternately introducing and relieving pressure on the Huid in the tank whereby the piston is pressure operated on its delivery stroke, and gravitationally operated on its intake stroke, a guide rail in the tank, and a bifurcated lateral projection adjacent the lower end of the piston working on the guide rail.

7. Pumping mechanism comprising a tank adapted to be filled with iuid, a cylinder opening at one end into the tank and having intake and. delivery ports in its upper end, :in elengeted piston Working in the cylinder midfexteuding, into the tank, meansfor alternately introducing and relieving pressure on the fluid in the tank whereby the piston is pressure operated ony its delivery stroke and graviiationally operated on its intake stroke, a ruck secured to the piston, valve mechanism for controlling the pressure of the fluid in the tank, and a gear meshing with the mel; and controlling'the valve mechanism.

THOMAS I, POTTER. 

